There have never been more database infrastructure choices available then today.
Many CIO's who support scientific research are left wondering where to begin when a new project arises.
Consideration #1 - Are Graph Databases Just for Data Science?
One key component to consider is whether to use a relational or graph database.
If your research has relationships between items or between items and real word objects, graph databases like Neo4j can offer blazing fast millisecond performance and greatly reduce development time- whether this is research data or supply chain and vendor management to support the research and engineering division.
Consideration #2 - How Much Hardware?
A few key statistics - clients switching to Neo4j - the most widely used graph db - have been able to replace 150 database servers with 3 servers due to the efficiency of graph databases in handling relationships.
The cost savings of eliminating 147 servers from your data center or from your monthly cloud provider bill is impressive. Neo4j runs well on laptops and can efficiently support millions of nodes on a single computer.
There is an upfront cost in terms of technical team training in graph databases but in making the switch from relational to graph, many IT departments often begin with new development projects. Consulting firms like GraphDash.com can design and implement the graph database project for your or train your technical team to do so.
Consideration #3 - Fast Like a Rabbit Software Development?
From a developer perspective, being able to replace a 2 page SQL query with a few lines of Cypher - the graph db SQL equivalent - can save days of dev and QA time per query.
The ramifications of faster backend software development time - with in some cases a 70% reduction in time to market are worth considering. These time savings can be used to reduce costs, add additional features or get to market faster.
Bottom Line: Got a New Project? - Consider the Benefits of Neo4j
Graph databases used to be a well kept data science secret. Over the last few years with solid technical advances in speed, security and ease of developer use, Neo4j has become the world's most popular graph database for good reason.
As a database architect with 15+ years of experience in relational databases, I'm excited that our clients are consistently asking for the benefits of graph databases with projects ranging from shipping-logistics systems to finance applications to mobile app development for Hollywood studios.
The pace of change has never been faster. Embracing a database that accelerates software development and gets a project to market faster means a win for both our companies and for our career satisfaction goals.
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